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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cold — an illness
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. court — of law
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. season — in sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — humankind
  16. firm — steady
  17. rule — government
  18. cold — not warm
  19. race — a contest
  20. season — of the year
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com